This invention relates generally to umbrella holders and more particularly concerns a mount for supporting an open umbrella from an object such as a golf bag, a barbecue grill or a piece of lawn furniture, for example.
A variety of holders for golf umbrellas have already been designed. Many use one or more arms to cantilever the umbrella holder outwardly and upwardly from a golf bag. Since the arms are relatively long, it is difficult to position the canopy of the umbrella in close enough relationship to the golf bag to adequately protect the bag and the clubs. Furthermore, the projecting arms of the holder make the golf bag difficult to handle, transport or store. Another unfortunate consequence of the cantilevered relationship is that the torque applied to the mount and to the golf bag by wind forces on the umbrella canopy can render the entire combination unstable and can also result in damage to the mount and the bag or other object to which the umbrella is attached.
Many of the mounts are designed to accommodate only one specific umbrella. Those which are more universal in nature generally employ clamping or gripping mechanisms which squeeze the umbrella handle or shaft, resulting in wear and damage to the umbrella at the clamping point. The specific application umbrella mounts are typically permanently attached to the umbrella. The universal mounts require inconvenient manipulation of clamp screws and the like in order to release and lock the umbrella from or to the mount. This inconvenience can be especially problematic, for example, in the course of a round of golf. The golfer normally carries the umbrella between shots, protecting both the golfer and the equipment as the golfer moves about the course, but mounts the umbrella during shots so as to protect the equipment while the golfer swings the club. Repetitive delays between shots to mount and dismount the umbrella cause unnecessary pressure and strain on the golfer and playing partners.
Most umbrella holders are not adjustable to vary the height of the umbrella canopy above the object to be protected. Those that are adjustable generally do not permit the umbrella handle to be lowered below the mount. Most are not adjustable to vary the angular relationship of the umbrella to the object. Those that are generally cantilever the umbrella in an awkward position relative to the object. Consequently, it is difficult to locate the canopy sufficiently close to adequately protect the object.
Finally, many of the mounts are specifically designed for use with particular objects, frequently golf bags, and are not universally usable with or easily transferrable to and from different objects.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an umbrella holder which is usable to support and umbrella form a variety of objects. Another object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which is usable to support a variety of umbrellas. A further object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which is easily detachable from one object for attachment to another object. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which facilitates rapid mounting and dismounting of the umbrella to and from the mount. It is also an object of this invention to provide an umbrella holder which does not apply pressure to or a clamping grip on the umbrella. Still another object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which does not extend significantly upwardly or outwardly from the object. An additional object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which does not make transportation or storage of the object more difficult. A further object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which minimizes the torque applied to the mount and the object resulting from wind forces on the umbrella canopy. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which supports the umbrella handle below the top of the handle so as to bring the canopy closer to the object. It is also an object of this invention to provide an umbrella holder which is easily adjustable to raise and lower the umbrella handle to bring the canopy into closer proximity to the protected object. Still another object of this invention is to provide an umbrella holder which is easily adjustable to change the angular relationship of the umbrella to the protected object.
In accordance with the invention, a mount is provided for supporting an open umbrella from an object such as, for example, a golf bag, a barbecue grill or a piece of lawn furniture. The mount has a bracket adapted to be secured to a portion of the object, and a holder for supporting the umbrella. The holder has a receptacle at its lower end adapted to receive and support a downwardly inserted handle of the umbrella and a yoke at its upper end oriented to receive a laterally inserted shaft of the umbrella. A closure is disposed on the yoke for preventing the inserted shaft from inadvertently slipping laterally out of the yoke. The preferred closure is a pin spring biased to extend across the open end of the yoke and withdrawable against the bias to permit insertion and removal of the shaft into and from the yoke. A hinge pivotally connects the upper end of the holder to the bracket to permit the umbrella to be positioned at any desired angle in relation to the object. The preferred hinge utilizes a clevis on the upper end of the holder with a portion of the bracket disposed in the clevis. A pivot pin extends through apertures aligned in the clevis and the bracket portion. A first locking mechanism cooperable with the hinge maintains the bracket and the holder in the selected angular relationship. The preferred first locking mechanism utilizes a head on one end of the pin and a nut threadedly engaged on the other end of the pin to clamp the bracket within the clevis.
Preferably, the holder has a first member with the receptacle at its lower end and a second member with the yoke at its upper end. The first and second members are slidably engaged to permit adjustment of the distance between the receptacle and the yoke so that the canopy of the umbrella can be lowered to closely shield the object. A second locking mechanism is cooperable with the first and second members to bind the members to each other at the desired spacing of the receptacle and yoke. The preferred second locking mechanism utilizes an elongated slot and an aperture in the members which are aligned to remain in registration during sliding displacement of the members. A bolt extending through the aperture and the slot and a nut are used to clamp the members together. It is preferred that the first and second members have cooperable tracks and channels for guiding the sliding displacement of the receptacle and the yoke.